There is one who dishonors the curse of God, and there is another who honors it. Undoubtedly, in the passage before us God is complaining about that one who has dishonored his curse. For when someone has been handed over to punishments to be reproved, and has not endured what was commanded, he dishonors the curse of God. But if one has endured it with all docility and blessing and thanksgiving to God, that person honors God’s curse and since he has honored the curse, he will of necessity also secure God’s blessing. [A]nd broke my covenant, with him he will die in the midst of Babylon; and not with a great force, nor with a great multitude, will Pharaoh wage war. Pharaoh is not able to provide help for one who has transgressed and dishonored God’s curse; instead, that one will die in the midst of Babylon for his own disobedience.
Then, he continues and tells what the sinners are going to suffer; and after that, he calls to mind all the more favorable things, saying: I shall take from the choice parts of the cedar, and I shall wrench one away from the summit of their heart, and I will plant it on a high mountain. After the curses which I have recounted earlier, God brings forward an assurance of blessedness and a very sweet promise at the end of the speech—because at this point, those who needed punishments had fully suffered torments for their sins. As I consider within myself and carefully ponder the meaning of this passage, I think it is giving a prophecy about the Apostles. For they are from the choice parts of the cedar, from the height, from the top; and God gave them for the sake of the world’s flourishing greenness, scraping off their hearts and planting them on an exalted mountain—Jesus Christ our Lord. And I will suspend it on a high mountain of Israel, and I will plant it, and it will bring forth shoots and bear fruit. They did produce shoots; they did bear fruit. And it will become a great cedar. Consider the greatness and the exaltation of the Church of Christ, so that you may understand that it was in accordance with the promise of God that what is said here was accomplished: And it will become a great cedar, and every bird will rest under it, and every flying thing will rest in its shade. Take up for yourself the wings of God’s Word, and you will be able to repose under this tree which has been planted on an exalted mountain.
See how the prophecy concludes on a positive note; for there follows: And all the trees of the field will recognize that I am the Lord, who makes low the tall tree. The “tall tree” is the Judaean nation, which, having been brought low, is paying the penalty for its sin, because it dared to lay a hand on our Lord Jesus Christ. And I have lifted up the humble tree. You were the “humble tree,” the cast-down tree, the tree clinging to the earth; but God has exalted you. And I dry out the green tree. The “green tree” refers to the people of the circumcision, who at one time were sprouting and flourishing, but now have wasted away with excessive desiccation. For where now is their lively speech, where is their chorus of virtues? And I cause the dry tree to flourish again. You were the “dry tree”; and the coming of Christ caused you to flourish again. I, the Lord, have spoken; and I shall do it. Since these things were said so that we too would flourish again, so that we would have the strength to bear fruit, so that we would be made into a budding tree, not a dry one, so that the axe that is announced in the Gospel would never be placed at our roots, let us pray more earnestly to Jesus Christ our Lord, along with his Father, to whom belong the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
Origen, Homilies on Ezekiel 12.4–5
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